Sectional refrigerated display cabinet



May 29, 1951 1. BENSON SECTIONAL REFRIGERATED DISPLAY CABINET 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed April 15, 1949 BENSION Gttorneg;

May 29, 1951 BENSON SECTIONAL REFRIGERATED DISPLAY CABINET 4 Sheets-Sheet 5 FiIed April 15, 1949 3nvemor WA BENSN FIG 2 (Ittornegg I. BENSON SECTIONAL REFRIGERATED DISPLAY CABINET- 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 May 29, 1951 Filed April 15, 1949 r O t n e D n Patented May 29, 1951 SECTIQNAI! B B GAB} ERATED DISPLAY INET- va liensen attle. Wash- Aprlieetion Apr l 1.5, 1949, Serial No. 87,590'

- 3 Claims. 1

This invention relates to a sectional refrigeraated display cabinet and, more particularly, to a refrigerated sectional display cabinet such as is used in markets for the display of foodstuffs to customers who are served by attendants who dispense from the cabinet on a side opposite that to which the customer presents himself.

Among the important objects of this invention have been the provision of a cabinet which can be assembled from a stock of prefabricated units or sections; that when assembled will be substantially air and water tight so that they can be refrigerated; that are adapted to collect window sweat and wash water and prevent leakage to the floor in an unsightly orunsanitary manner; that will avoid undesirable cracks and crevices that would lead to lack of sanitation when used in connection with spoilable foodstuffs; that is simple to construct with uniform interlocking and inter-tying parts throughout the units so a wide variety of arrangements can be accommodated; that are easy to assemble or disassemble; and that avoid the heretofore practice of con structing each cabinet in a custom manner without permissible variations after construction.

These and other objects of the invention are attained in the manner more fully described in the following specification in which like reference numbers refer to like parts shown throughout the accompanying drawings in which:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of pair of cabinet sections and end closing sections in assembled relation;

Figure 2 is a front-perspective view of a corner section which may be incorporated in'the cabinet of Figure l;

Figure 3 and Figure 4 are plan views of sectional cabinets arranged to show the variety of assembly that is permissible with cabinets ac: cording to my invention;

Figure 5 is an enlarged end view of a typical cabinet section showing the details of vponstruce tion;

Figure 6 is a fragmentary view of an end of a cabinet section as though viewed in elevation from the rear;

Fi ur '7 is an nlar ed pl ded detai sect nal view taken on. l ne, of Fi ure 5;

Figure 8 is n nlar ed d tail s cti n l view hrou h en abu n Windows. of the cab nets as ou h tak n the lane 858 of Fi ure .5;

Figure 9 is an enlarged sectional detail View of line -.95 f Figure 1;

F ure l s an enlar ed detail view of the (Cl. 31 *l07) of Figure 9;

Figure 14 is an enlarged detail sectional view showing the joint between the pan of a display section and an end closing wall;

Figure '15 is a detail view showing how a dividing pan may be mounted between a pair of end abutting sections; and

Figure 16 is a fragmentary perspective view of a rear end of the joint between adjacent sections and their bottom pans.

In its preferred form, my invention is embodied in cabinet sections such as are shown in Figures 1 and 2, which may be variously assembled as suggested in Figures 3 and 4. The main element of my sectional cabinet is the straight section II], that with a pair of end wall sections l2, will provide a complete cabinet. Or, by the addition of a second section It), as in Figure 1, a pair of end abutting and intercommunicating display chambers of substantial length, will be assembled. The corner section M of Figure 2 is open on each end to join with a straight section and makes e445 turn which, when combined with straight sections and end walls, as in Figure 3, will produce a blunt cornered L.-.shaped assembly. Two corner sections joined together in end abutting relation to each other with wings formed of straight sections terminated by end wall section, produce the less blunt corner L-shaped assembly of Figure 4.

Each straight section I0 includes a front wall I8 surmounted by a Window pane 20, a top pane 22, and a back wall 23 which is ported and closed by sliding doors 24. Similarly, each corner section 14 has angularly disposed front walls 26, front windows 28, the top 30 and the back wall 32.

The cabinet is formed of structural members joined together to form a suitable frame that ncludes fron less 4 and rear legs, 36 that are partially joined at the ends of the cabinet by he end panel wall 38- Abe h d a l p el the lee is be t an e n or ed by a knee plate 40 which is smoothly set into the wooden material from which the main structural memere of the eabieetar f rmed. The front le 34 coated metal or the equivalent, which is backed I up by a heavier and more insulative structural wall [9, preferably of wood. The rear wall below the doors is substantially identical and the front and rear walls are joined by lateral beams 48 that support the pan 50 which forms such an important part of my cabinets.

Pan 50 includes the bottom 5!, front wall 52, rear wall 53, and end walls 54, all of which are suitably stiffened and supported by framing such as members '55 and 56 in Figure 9. The upper face of front wall I9 slopes rearward and filler member 56 is mounted in the same inclination. The front wall 52 of pan 50 is provided with a forwardly extending lip 56 that has upright flange 59 on its front edge. The upper edge I! of facing l8 overhangs the flange 59 as can best be seen in Figure 9. The pan bottom has a downward nipple 51 that carries off drain water in the cabinet.

The front and rear walls 52, 53 of pan 50 support angle clips 60 on which reticulated display racks 62, or display pans, are rested within the cabinet.

The end walls of pan 5!] have offset fins 64 that rise above the partial end walls 38 of the cabinet and extend across the cabinet from the rear forward to the flange 59 on lip '58, as best shown in Figures 10 and 11. Fin 64 lies under the upper jaw of frame plate 44 in the mouth thereof. When a pair of sections are brought together in end abutting relation, as shown in Figure 16, the fins 64 on the two pans of the sections, lie closely juxtaposed to each other and both extend forward under the frame 42.

The front windows 2!) are preferably formed of marginally spaced-apart panes of glass that are internally evacuated and sealed to provide both clear vision and an insulative effect to permit the holding of low temperatures within the cabinet. The window top 22 is of similar construction.

Window 20 is mounted in the cabinet with its ends clamped to frame member 42 by screws 43 that pass through batten strip 66 that covers the gap between end abutting panes. Similarly the top 22 is mounted in place on the upper horizontal leg of frame member 42. The adjacent edges of window 20 and top 22 are joined and sealed by thin metallic channeled molding strips 2|, assembled in the manner disclosed in Figure 12.

The bottom edge of window 20 overlies in spaced relation the lip 58 of pan 59 inside the upright flange 59. This spaced relation of the bottom of the window pane to the lip is obtained by the use of wedges 68 as best seen in Figure 13. With such an arrangement, when the windows are washed on either side, the wash water drains down and on to the lip 58 and thence into the pan 50. The same is true of accumulated condensate that may get on the windows under unusual conditions of humidity or the like.

When two similar chambered sections are brought together in end-to-end relation, as in Figures 7, 11 and 16, compressible molding and sealing strips '16, press against each other and effectively seal the gap between end walls 38 to prevent leakage of air from the cabinet and to preclude moisture getting into the wood frame of the cabinet and causing it to deteriorate.

The flanges 64 of aligned pans 56 are each provided with a compressible gasket 1'2 that has a thin groove along one edge to slip over the metal of the flange as shown in Figures 7 and 16. An inverted U-shaped channel member or capping trough E4 is disposed over the flanges 64 and their gaskets and pressed firmly downward to compress the gaskets and seal off access to between the flanges. The channel or trough 1'4 is held down in place by a flange 16 at the rear end (see Figure .16) through which is passed screw 15 into the rear leg 36 of the cabinet. On the forward end, channel 14 extends into the mouth 46 under the upper jaw of member 44, which keeps it pressed down on the gaskets. The walls of trough 14 are flared to produce a wedging action on the gaskets.

When an end wall section I2 is positioned to close the cabinet chamber, a depending flange strip 8!] mounted on the inner wall slides over gasket 12 and compresses it to seal the joint along that structure. Usually the inner face of the end wall is covered with a sheet of enameledmetal 82 that overlies the sealed joint and smoothly finishes the interior of the cabinet.

Because the jaw-like plate 44 must extend forward of the pane 20 and to the plane of the front wall of the cabinet, I allow the batten 66 to extend down and contact member 44. A lower batten 61 covers the gap between front wall panels I8, l8, or i8, 26 and a knee-cap 86 covers the batten ends and the exposed portion of member 44.

For the convenience of introducing refrigeration conduits, I form aligned ports in the ends of the cabinet sections and into the end wall sections and insert therein nipples 88, access be-' ing had to such nipples in the end walls through door 89.v

Occasionally it is desired that two cabinets be divided from each other and this I accomplish as shown in Figure 15, where in a glass divider wall 92 is held in place by framing plates 94 that are in turn clamped to the rear of the T-shaped frame member 42 by bolts 96.

For the purpose of providing a reach-in display cabinet, as for cheeses, margarine, and similar foods that require but a slight degree of refrigeration and which are usually packaged for customer self-service, the disclosed construction is very adaptable with but a minimum of alteration. In such instances, the cabinet is normally placed with its back wall close to a building wall and the rear face of the cabinet would preferably have a mirror to reflect to the front goods displayed in the lower part of the cabinet. The chamber display window in such case is of less than full height to make a transparent front wall that rises to a level that a customer may easily reach over to get the goods from the cabinet. Such a front wall would preferably be mounted over the lip 58 of pan 50 in the manner that has been described, and supported at its ends as shown in Figure 8.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

1. A refrigerated sectional display cabinet, com-- prising: a plurality of open-ended cabinet sec-- tions forming display chambers arranged together in end abutting relation and having display win- (5 dows in the front, the lower edge of which windows are unframed, cooling means in said chambers, means for aligning and for securely drawing said sections tightly together, each said section having a bottom pan therein to contain fluids draining from above and from the windows, a lip on said pan extending forward in spaced relation beneath the chamber display window and arranged in fluid drainin relation to said pan, an upstanding fin on each end of said pan and extending across said chamber at its ends from the rear forwardly to the front edge of said lip, the fins of end abutting sections being closely juxtaposed to each other, and an inverted capping trough overlying the upper edges of such juxta posed fins and depending downward along oppositely directed sides to deflect fluids into said pans, wall means for closing the open ends of said sections and their chambers, and means carried by the wall means to overlie the pan fin on that end and to depend into the pan for fluid deflecting purposes.

2. A refrigerated sectional display cabinet, comprising: a plurality of open-ended cabinet sections forming display chambers arranged together in end abuttin relation and having display windows in the front, the lower edges of which windows are unframed, cooling means in said chambers, each said section having a bottom pan therein to contain fluids draining from above and from the windows, a lip on said pan extending forward in spaced relation beneath the chamber display window and arranged in fluid draining relation to said pan, an upstanding fin on each end of said pan, the fins of end abutting sections being closely juxtaposed to each other, an inverted capping trough overlying the upper edges of such juxtaposed fins and depending downward along oppositely directed sides to deflect fluids into said pans,

there being a compressible strip gasket betweensaid juxtaposed fins and said inverted capping trough, wall means for closing the open ends of said sections and their chambers, and a flange carried by the wall means to overlie th pan fin on that end and to depend downward for fluid deflecting purposes.

3. A refrigerated sectional display cabinet, comprising: a plurality of cabinet sections forming display chambers arranged together in end abutting relation and having display windows in the front, the lower edges of which windows are unframed, cooling means in said chambers, means for aligning and for securely drawing said sections tightly together, each said section havin a bottorn pan therein to contain fluids draining from above and from the windows, a lip on said pan extending forward in spaced relation beneath the chamber display window and arranged in fluid draining relation to said pan, and an upstanding flange on said lip infront of the lower edge of said display windows.

IVAR BENSON.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 2,211,113 Hall Aug. 13, 1940 2,223,762 Hall Dec. 3, 1940 2,279,945 Hofiman Apr. 14, 1942 2,320,556 Belshaw June 1, 1943 

